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Benavente Aims to Soar in San Nazzaro

Portuguese powerboat racer Duarte Benavente heads to San Nazzaro this weekend for the third round of the 2026 UIM F2 World Championship, looking to shake off a difficult start to his season. Engine problems in both Lithuania and Brindisi have left the former World Champion down in 14th place, with three rounds still to run.

In recent weeks, the Atlantic Team driver has been back on the water for testing, determined to get to the bottom of the issues that disrupted his opening races. The hope is that the extra time spent fine tuning the boat will pay off as the championship moves into a crucial phase.

San Nazzaro is known for producing tight, unforgiving racing, with small margins often deciding qualifying positions and race results. For Benavente, the Italian circuit offers a chance to turn renewed confidence into much needed championship points.

“We have worked hard to understand the issues from the opening rounds and the team has put in a big effort to get us back on track,” Benavente said. “San Nazzaro is never easy, but I feel positive after testing and we are focused on delivering a clean, competitive weekend.”

With the season entering its final stretch, Benavente remains determined to climb the standings and finish strongly. Atlantic Team will begin its San Nazzaro campaign with practice and qualifying before the fight for points later in the weekend.

The 2026 F1H2O World Championship standings remain tight at the top, with Team Abu Dhabi narrowly ahead and several teams in striking distance.

Atlantic Team sits seventh after two demanding rounds, ready to build momentum and climb the leaderboard as the season unfolds.

After two action-packed rounds, Ben Jelf sits 9th in the Championship with 19 points, delivering steady results across both events. Duarte Benavente has battled through a tough start but remains in the fight with 3 points on the board. With momentum building and more racing ahead, both drivers are ready to push forward.

PRESS RELEASE
British Powerboat Racer Ben Jelf Takes on High Altitude Challenge at the Inaugural Mid Asia Grand Prix in Kyrgyzstan

British Powerboat Racer Ben Jelf and Team Atlantic travelled to Issyk Kul, Kyrgyzstan last weekend to compete in the inaugural Mid Asia Grand Prix, the second round of the F1H2O World Championship. Eight teams made the journey to the spectacular high altitude venue, where racing at over 1,600 metres above sea level pushed every team’s engine setups and propeller selections to the limit. Every lap of free practice and qualifying proved crucial in finding the winning combination for the demanding forty plus lap Grand Prix.

The weekend began with a major challenge. Before Jelf could even take to the water, the team faced extensive repairs to his DAC hull, damaged during the previous round in Cagliari following a dramatic collision with an overturned Sami Seliö at the start. With the expert support of renowned boat builder David Moore, Team Atlantic worked tirelessly to ensure the boat was ready for the first practice session.

With repairs complete, the team turned their attention to testing setups and propellers in search of the vital extra speed that many competitors were struggling to find at altitude. Portuguese teammate Duarte Benavente continued to battle persistent engine issues carried over from Cagliari, further affecting his lap times throughout the early sessions.

Saturday marked the arrival of Qualifying for the Grand Prix of Kyrgyzstan, held under the watchful eye of His Excellency Sadyr Japarov, President of Kyrgyzstan, who attended alongside the heads of state of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. Their presence added prestige and anticipation to the intense 20 minute Q1 session as teams fought for position in the challenging Issyk Kul conditions.
Jelf pushed hard throughout the session, narrowly missing out on Q2 by just 0.081 seconds, securing 13th place on the grid.

Saturday afternoon saw Jelf return to the water for the Grand Prix of Kyrgyzstan – Issyk Kul Sprint Race 1. Starting from 6th, he launched off the line with a superb start and fought his way up to 4th place, earning valuable championship points for his 2026 World Championship campaign.

Sunday dawned with intense conditions for the gruelling 41 lap inaugural Grand Prix of Kyrgyzstan – Issyk Kul. As the start lights went out, seventeen boats powered away from the pontoon, but Jelf’s engine misfired, leaving him chasing the pack. He quickly recovered to 16th, closing in on Maverick Team’s Deguisne and searching for an opportunity to pass.

However, disaster struck on lap 14 when Jelf attempted an inside move at Turn Two. The right hand side of his boat dug into Deguisne’s wash, causing a full roll and forcing Jelf out of the race. Teammate Benavente was also forced to retire after just one lap due to ongoing engine issues.

Despite the setback, Jelf remained positive about the team’s performance and the progress made throughout the weekend:

“It was a tough weekend, but the team showed incredible determination to get us back on the water after the damage from Cagliari. Racing at altitude is a whole different challenge, and we made real steps forward with the setup. The crash was frustrating, but that’s racing at this level. We’ll regroup, take the positives, and come back fighting in Shanghai.” — Ben Jelf, Team Atlantic

The Championship now moves on to Shanghai on 3–4 October, where Team Atlantic will look to strike back with strong results across the board.

-ENDS-

F1H2O Grand Prix of Kyrgyzstan, Issyk-Kul Final Results

Duarte retired after 1 lap still suffering with Engine problems.

Ben crashed out on lap 15 trying to come on the inside of Cedric on turn 2 catching his wake and barrel rolling out of the race. The boat has a little damage but Ben is fi e thank you to everyone who has messaged to check on him and of course to Osprey Rescue for being on the scene immediately to recover him and his boat. We would like to thank F1H2O and the Kyrgyzstan Powerboat Federation for a fantastic event despite not getting the results were had hoped for. We will be back stronger in Shanghai

F1H2O Grand Prix of Kyrgyzstan, Issyk-Kul Warm Up Results

F1H2O Grand Prix of Kyrgyzstan, Issyk-Kul
Starting Grid

Solid effort today for the F1 Atlantic Team under challenging conditions at Lake Issyk-Kul!

Sprint Race Highlights

Ben Jelf ( #9):Excellent performance securing 4th place in Sprint Race 1, locking in valuable championship points.

Duarte Benavente ( #10):Tough luck with the DNS in Sprint Race 2, but getting those technical issues ironed out ahead of tomorrow's main race is key.

At over 1,600 meters above sea level, the altitude in Issyk-Kul is putting every team's engine setups and propellers to the absolute test. Any engine tweaks overnight could pay big dividends on the high-altitude course.

Looking forward to seeing the updated starting grid in the morning. Best of luck to the team for tomorrow's inaugural Grand Prix of Kyrgyzstan! 🚤💨